October 03, 2007    El Paso, Texas
Customs find 1,666 pounds of marijuana in the floor of a tractor-trailer

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Bridge of the Americas commercial cargo facility at the El Paso port of entry seized 1,666 pounds of marijuana Wednesday afternoon. The drugs have an estimated street value of $1,666,000.

The seizure was made shortly after noon when a tractor-trailer entered the facility from Mexico. A CBP officer at the primary inspection selected the vehicle for an X-ray examination. CBP officers scanned the vehicle and noticed an anomaly in the floor of the empty trailer.

CBP detector dog "Tessa" searched the rig and alerted to the bottom of the trailer. CBP officers drilled through the floor of the trailer and produced a green substance that tested positive for marijuana. CBP officers removed a total of 382 marijuana-filled bundles from a hidden compartment in the floor of the trailer.

The driver of the truck was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents in connection with the failed smuggling attempt. He is identified as 32-year-old Jose Rodriguez Mendoza of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Source: U.S.Customs